


Grow

by ixia_ixora



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, I hope lol, M/M, One Shot, Sherlock Challenge, doing idiot things, just these two idiots, leeezz gooo, together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:01:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25038898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ixia_ixora/pseuds/ixia_ixora
Summary: John decides to grow out his beard during quarantine.
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes & John Watson, Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Comments: 10
Kudos: 40





	Grow

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for this being a bit late, real life comes in the way as usual. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Thanks to my beta opheliathegreekgoddess

Sherlock looked up from his microscope as John entered the kitchen. His hair was wet from the shower and the robe was slowly slipping from his shoulder as he went over to his chair. John reached for the newspaper on the table beside his chair and opened it up on the weather forecast. Sherlock slowly lowered his petri dish and leaned forward in his chair to look closer at John. John tipped his head a little backwards but didn’t stop reading.

“What is it Sherlock?” John asked, still looking at the newspaper.

Sherlock rose from his stool and went over to John’s side. He reached a hesitant hand towards John’s cheek and cupped it. His thumb stroke over John’s cheekbone. John looked up at Sherlock fondly and put his hand over Sherlock’s.

“You didn’t shave,” Sherlock stated, sliding his hand down to the back of John’s head.

John gave Sherlock a small smile and said, “Though I give it a try, since we aren’t going to leave the house in two weeks.” He stroked Sherlock’s forearm and gave it a squeeze. “Haven’t had a beard since I returned from the army.”

Sherlock put his knees beside John’s thighs and cupped his face. The stubble felt rough against his palms, and when he leaned forward, he could feel it scrape against his cheek. Sherlock kissed John slow and lightly and when he pulled back, he looked into John’s eyes and said, “Bet you can’t last three days.”

~ ~ ~

“50 quid.”

Sherlock looked up from the old case file he had been reading and stared confused at John. John closed his laptop and put it to the side. He folded his hands in his lap, his back straight and his legs crossed at the ankles.

“50 quid that I won’t shave in seven days.”

Sherlock turned in his chair and stretched out his legs. He rested his arm on the back of the chair and evaluated the deal.

“The bet is on,” Sherlock answered and turned back to his work.

~ ~ ~

Sherlock pushed his plate, which John had just put by his elbow, to the side. John sat opposite of him, eating a toast and reading the papers. Their sock-cladded feet were tangled together under the table. John’s toast made a loud crunch as he took a bite of it, and some jam remained in his beard over his upper lip. Sherlock pushed himself up from his chair and leaned over the table. He licked at John’s lip, dragging the sweet jam over unto his own tongue. Sherlock seated himself back down and John gave him a crooked smile as thanks.

“Yoo hoo!” Mrs. Hudson greeted them from the doorway. With her she carried a tray of biscuits.

“I brought some of your favourites.” She put down the tray on the table and sat down in an available chair. Sherlock grabbed a biscuit but soon resumed with his experiment. John put down the newspaper and turned towards Mrs. Hudson.

“How are you keeping up Mrs. H? Everything all right?” John asked politely.

“Yes, thank you darling. This isn’t that much of a change for a retiree,” she giggled softly. She patted John’s hand and gave it a slight squeeze. “But don’t you just look like a handsome man with that beard,” Mrs. Hudson continued. She moved her hand from John’s and higher up to his shoulder. There she stroked his arm a couple of times before settling her hand in her lap.

John laughed and rubbed his beard. “Thank you, Mrs. Hudson,” he answered. “Although, I don’t think Sherlock likes it.”

Mrs. Hudson turned to Sherlock. “Why don’t you like it Sherlock?” she asked, the confusion clear in her voice.

Sherlock sighed and turned his head slowly. “I like,” he started, “I don’t like that John likes it.” He turned towards his petri dishes and wrote something down in his notebook.

John blew a sharp breath through his nose. “Because it’s going to cost you,” he said under his breath. Sherlock scoffed back at him and didn’t answer.

Mrs. Hudson seemed unfazed by this exchange and said with a smirk, “So you don’t think John looks handsome?”

Sherlock, once again, had to put away his experiment. He stared at Mrs. Hudson as if she had insulted him deeply. With a small exhale he rose from his chair and over to John’s lap. He wrapped an arm around his neck and the other hand rested on his chest.

“Of course I think he looks handsome,” Sherlock said. “And lovely, smart beautiful, cute.” The last words were whispered in John’s ear. Sherlock gave John’s lobe a small bite his hot breath skimming over the side of John’s face.

“And a magnificent arse,” Sherlock breathed, sticking the tip of his tongue to lick the shell of John’s ear. John squirmed in his seat and giggled.

“I’ll leave you boys to it,” Mrs. Hudson said shaking her head, but not supressing her smile. She lifted herself up from the chair with a small groan and left the flat with a small wink at the two men.

~ ~ ~

Sherlock pulled his arm free from under his boyfriend's head. Sherlock froze when John stirred but he settled himself against the pillow after a few seconds. Sherlock untangled his legs and pushed himself up from the bed, avoiding a squeaky spring. John shuffled and rolled closer to the warm spot Sherlock had just left. Sherlock tiptoed across the floor, his tall figure casting a shadow in the barely lit room. He gripped the door handle and was for once glad that John didn't like sleeping with the door completely closed. When he reached the hallway, he relaxed and walked over to the bathroom. Sherlock turned on the light and opened the cupboard over the sink. He pushed aside some of John's things before he found what he was looking for, a razor. _I'm not losing this bet._ Sherlock closed the cupboard and moved silently into the room again.

John had moved and now lay on his side with his left arm under his head. Sherlock went over to John's side and put the razor om the top of John's right cheekbone. He put his right hand on John's jaw to hold his face still and started to slide the blade down. He only got two centimetres before John stirred. Sherlock lifter the blade and stilled his hands. John went limp again and Sherlock continued.

Before he could start again John gripped Sherlock left hand and slammed him face-down on to the mattress. He put his knee on Sherlock's shoulder blade and he made a small groan as John pushed his knee harder down.

"Bloody hell Sherlock!" John yelled at him slackening his hold on Sherlock's arm and putting his knee down from the taller man's back.

"What the fuck are you doing?" John sat down with his back against the headboard. He touched his cheek and his fingers game back with blood on. John sighed and reached for å tissue on the nightstand.

Sherlock gently lifted himself up from the mattress and dragged himself over to John.

"Here, let me." Sherlock took John's sharp jaw in hand and reached for another tissue. "I didn't mean to cut you," he apologized.

"Well you bloody well did!" John sighed and turned his face, but still let Sherlock clean up the blood.

After wiping away most of the blood, Sherlock reached for John's arms and dragged him up and to the bathroom. He found their first-aid kit and opened a bottle of saline solution.

"This is going to sting a bit," Sherlock told John.

"Yeah I know Sherlock." John rolled his eyes. "I'm a bloody doctor," he murmured but jutted out his jaw anyway.

After making sure the bleeding had stopped and the cut was clean, Sherlock lead John to their bed again.

"I'm sorry John, I didn't mean to hurt you," Sherlock said snuggling closer to John. He tested his curly head on top of John's good shoulder.

"And?" John inquired.

"And I'm sorry for trying to shave your beard," Sherlock sighed. "Can you forgive me?" Sherlock looked up at John and made his eyes bigger.

"Of course I forgive you, you idiot," John said giving his boyfriend a kiss on his temple. "But why did you do it?"

Sherlock shoved his face into John's chest and mumbled, "I didn't want to lose the bet."

"Come again?" John said pushing himself away from Sherlock to hear him better.

Sherlock exhaled a sharp breath and lifter himself up on his elbow.

"I didn't want to lose the bet John."

John chuckled and pulled Sherlock into a hug. "It doesn't mean anything," he said. "It's just a bet."

"Yes, I know," Sherlock grumbled.

~ ~ ~

Sherlock wrapped his arms around John and pulled him closer. John snuggled into Sherlock’s side and tangled their legs together. Sherlock’s hand was absentmindedly stroking John’s golden hair and John looked up at him and smiled softly. The patch Sherlock shaved had grown back, but still a bit shorter than the rest of the beard. Sherlock felt remorse looking at the patch, but John didn’t seem to mind anymore. John felt Sherlock retreat to his mind palace, zoning out. He cupped his boyfriend’s cheek and gave him a small peck on the lips to tell him at he’s forgiven. Sherlocked blinked and smiled down at John, giving him another kiss.

“I didn’t actually believe you could grow a beard”, Sherlock said stroking John’s cheek. John chuckled softly and pulled himself closer to Sherlock.

“I’ve always wanted to grow a beard, but I’ve never had the opportunity to do it”, John answered. They were silent for a minute, holding each other. John continued, “I felt that I never let go of the army completely, and I guess this was just my way of saying goodbye to that part of my life.”

Sherlock didn’t know what to say so he snuggled his face into John’s hair instead.

John turned his head up towards Sherlock and said smugly, “I do suit it though, don’t you think?”

Sherlock laughed loudly, his chest vibrating against John’s face. John smiled and squeezed Sherlock’s hip pulling them together, chest to chest, knee to knee. Sherlock brought his hands up to John’s face and lowered his own head, so their noses touched. He gave John’s nose a kiss and said quietly, “No matter how you look, I will always love you.”

John felt warm from Sherlock’s affection and grinned.

“But,” Sherlock began, kissing John’s temple, his eyelid and between his eyebrows, “you look rather dashing with a beard.” Sherlock finished his declaration with a soft and slow kiss to his lips.

John sighed into the kiss and felt himself relax into the arms of his boyfriend. Sherlock withdrew slightly to turn of the lamp on the nightstand. Before Sherlock could settle back into his place John turned over so he was laying half on top of Sherlock. He playfully sucked at Sherlock’s earlobe; his breath warm against his face. He gave Sherlock’s ear a final bite and whispered seductively,

“You owe me 50 quid.”

~ ~ ~

**Author's Note:**

> This was fun to write, hope it was fun to read! Thanks for reading, comments are always welcome!


End file.
